News late yesterday of a new and potentially more dangerous variant of COVID-19 emerging in South Africa has made a dramatic impact on financial markets today. In general, market shifts have been similar to those in previous periods of renewed uncertainty around the path of the pandemic. Risky assets and currencies have fallen across the board today, while bond yields have dropped sharply and safe havens – notably the yen – have rallied. Short-term rate expectations, which had risen significantly in the US and other DMs over recent months, have been pared back rapidly.
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